


Coming Home

by Never_Eat_Sour_Wheat



Category: Smile For Me (Video Game)
Genre: Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, I can't think of much else whoops, M/M, Making Up, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:08:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22589170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Never_Eat_Sour_Wheat/pseuds/Never_Eat_Sour_Wheat
Summary: Everyone's gone home from the Habitat, and Parsley's not looking forward to what he's got to do. But the pay off will definitely be worth it.
Relationships: Martin & Original Female Character, Parsley Botch & Original Female Character, Parsley Botch/Martin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

> I originally made this version of Martin and Ashley for...a much sadder au. But I was feeling down and wrote this instead! So...have some good family fluff!

“Okay...okay Parsley, you can do this…”

Parsley Botch didn’t ever expect himself to be standing in front of his own house, too nervous to go in. But...here he was. He was standing in front of the door, just staring up at the upstairs window. He glanced at his watch and took a deep breath. He took out a key, but thought to test the door first. It opened easily, and he stepped inside. He gulped and looked around. It didn’t really look any different. It was just his house, exactly the way he had left it.

“Ashley?” A voice called from further in the house. “Did you miss the bus?” Parsley couldn’t help smiling despite the anxiety he was feeling. 

“Not exactly,” he called back. There was a moment of silence, before some hurried footsteps, and then Parsley had his arms full of someone else. “Martin…”

“Parsley!” The man, Martin, in his arms said. He pulled back to hold Parsley at arm’s length. “You’re home!”

“I...I am! Yeah!” Parsley laughed, feeling his anxiety melting away. “I’m home!”

“Have you eaten? I was just making breakfast and-” Parsley cut Martin off by kissing him soundly. Martin melted and wrapped his arms around Parsley’s waist. Parsley wrapped his own arms around Martin’s neck, holding him close. Martin pulled away to rest their foreheads together. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too…”

* * *

“I’m so glad you got to reconnect with Jimothan!” Martin said, coming to sit beside Parsley on the couch.

“Yeah, it was...it was pretty good.” Parsley couldn’t help a small smile. “Definitely only a start but a start nonetheless.” He took a deep breath. “Martin...there’s some stuff I wanna say.” Martin seemed to sober up immediately and took Parsley’s hands.

“I have some stuff to say too,” he said. Parsley nodded. The vagueness made him anxious, but he’d been equally vague. Besides, they both knew what this was about. “Would...would you like to go first?”

“I...yeah.” Parsley took a deep breath. “I wanted to say I’m sorry for making fun of your profession.”

“So formal…” Martin said, but Parsley could tell he was joking. He chuckled awkwardly.

“Yeah...I’m sorry for that too.” Martin just nodded. “I’m sorry I was always too busy or too tired for you. I’m...I’m going to quit banking.”

“What?” Martin yelped, staring at Parsley. “But...but you said…!”

“I know what I said, but it was selfish.” Parsley sighed. “I was told growing up that there’s no money in the arts, that’s why I said all that I said. That’s why I insulted your work, that’s why I was constantly working. I was afraid your work would fall through at any moment and I’d have to support us all on my own.”

“That’s not how it works Parsley, it doesn’t-”

“I know! I know that now, yeah, I know,” Parsley said in a rush. Martin raised an eyebrow. “You’re capable Martin, you’re not gonna lose your job at the recording studio. I know that now. And...and even if you did, we’d figure something out without me having to work myself into the ground.” Parsley smiled in a way that was hopeful. “My...my point is, I’m going to work on being more of myself around you again.”

“Without the alcohol?” Martin asked. Parsley looked away, but only for a moment. He met Martin’s eyes. 

“Yes. No more alcohol. I promise.” Martin smiled and moved forward to hug Parsley tightly. Parsley hugged back, burying his face in Martin’s chest. Yes, he’d had some to drink at the Habitat, but he wasn’t going to let it happen again. “You...you said you had stuff to say too?” Martin sighed and squeezed Parsley once before pulling away from him.

“I...yes. I wanted to say that I’m sorry for giving you the cold shoulder so much,” he said. Parsley nodded. “I don’t...I don’t have an excuse really I just...I guess that’s what I’m so used to. It’s not healthy. I need to be more open with you.” Parsley was about to speak when Martin spoke again, much quicker than before. “And I’m sorry about the divorce lawyer thing!” Parsley froze.

He and Martin had had a particularly bad fight, and Martin had closed himself off in the computer room. Parsley hadn’t thought too much about it, thinking that he was probably using the instant messaging to talk to someone about what was going on in their house. But when he’d sat down at the computer the next day, he’d found “divorce lawyers” as a recent search. He’d been shattered, he’d gone to Martin and told him that he needed time away. He’d found the flyer for the Habitat the next day and...well, that’s why he went.

“I…” Martin spoke before he could say anything else.

“I was angry and...and I wasn’t thinking straight and…” Martin had tears in his eyes, and Parsley moved to hold his face gently. “I don’t want that for us. I love you so much. I...I looked up couple’s counseling while you were gone, they have one at the place Ash goes to. I...I want to see if we can go without it but if we start fighting again I want to go. I don’t...I don’t want to lose you Parsley.”

“You won’t,” Parsley said. He leaned forward to kiss Martin’s cheek, where tears were beginning to fall. “You won’t lose me Martin. I’m staying, and we’re going to work these things out from now on, okay? No more hiding or yelling. We’re gonna talk about things and...and it’ll be okay.” Martin chuckled wetly.

“That Habit guy must’ve worked wonders,” he said. Parsley laughed.

“We’ve really got the florist’s kid to thank. They did all the work,” he said. 

“Well, I’ll have to thank them next time I’m in getting a bouquet for you.” Parsley blushed and giggled. “Can we go cuddle now? Is that enough apologizing?”

“For now, yeah. I get the feeling there’s gonna be more conversations like this but...for now, yeah. We can definitely go cuddle,” Parsley said. Martin stood and offered a hand to him. Parsley took it, kissed it once, before letting Martin pull him off. They walked, hand and hand into their bedroom to lie down for a while.

* * *

Parsley jumped out of bed when he glanced at the clock. Martin had fallen asleep a while ago, and he had been so tempted to follow him, but there was something so much more important that he had to stay up for. The clock said it was 3:49, which meant he needed to get downstairs, and fast. Martin was still asleep, and Parsley was surprised that his jumping around didn’t disturb him. He wasn’t complaining though. He made his way downstairs, and was stepping out the door when he saw the school bus stop down the street. He stood on the stoop and watched as kids hopped off the bus. He spotted a little girl walking in his direction and began to tap his foot excitedly. He didn’t have to wait long.

“Papa!” A very familiar voice yelled, and soon the short girl was running towards him. He dropped to one knee and held his arms open. Ashley Botch, his daughter, ran straight into him and gripped his torso tightly. He held her close, his face buried in her hair. She sobbed as she held him and he shushed her comfortingly. “I didn’t think you were coming back,” she whispered.

“Of course I was sweetheart. I’ll always come back, I’m not leaving you,” he said. She nodded and he picked her up. She was pretty heavy by now, almost seven, but he didn’t mind. He’d hold her tight for today. “Your dad is asleep, so I think we should be quiet for now, yeah?” Ashley nodded again. She was still crying, so Parsley began to shush her again. He bounced her slightly in his hold, and soon she was giggling as well. “I love you hon,” he said as he came back inside, closing the door behind them.

“I love you too Papa,” Ashley replied. She began to squirm, so he set her down. “Did Dad show you the art I made in class of the three of us?” 

“He didn’t! Show me!” Ashley rushed into the kitchen and pulled the art down from the fridge and brought it over to Parsley. He sat on the couch, and Ashley soon crawled onto the couch next to him.

“I made it two days ago!” She said, “Here’s Dad-” she pointed to the tallest stick figure with the green outline. “-and here’s you-” she pointed to the medium stick figure with the red hair. “And here’s me!” She pointed to the shortest stick figure, which also had red hair. Hers was much longer than his, she liked having it long.

“It’s lovely art sweetie! Your art is going to be in a museum someday!” Parsley said. Ashley giggled. Parsley heard Martin coming down the stairs, and apparently Ashley did too. She jumped up and raced into the stairwell to hug him.

“Dad! Papa’s home!” She yelled. Martin laughed and knelt down to pick her up.

“He is!” He said excitedly. “And he’s not leaving again, right Parsley?” Martin and Ashley both looked at him, and Parsley felt his heart melt.

“Of course not,” he said, standing up. He came over to wrap his arms around them, and sighed deeply. “I’m not leaving ever again. I have all the happiness I could need with you. I love you both so much.”

“I love you too Papa.”

“I love you Parse.”


End file.
